Neck and arm pain is a common ailment of the aging spine due to disc herniations, facet arthropathy and thickening of spinal ligaments which narrow spinal canal dimensions. This results in compression of the spinal cord or nerve roots, or both. Radicular pain is typically due to disc herniation and foraminal narrowing, which compresses the cervical nerve roots and causes radicular pain. Extension and ipsilateral rotation of the neck further reduces the foraminal area and contributes to pain, nerve root compression, and neural injury. Neck flexion generally increases the foraminal area.
Cervical disc herniations and foraminal stenosis typically present with upper extremity radicular pain without major motor or sensory neurologic deficit. A well-described treatment for cervical disc herniations is closed traction. There are a number of marketed devices that alleviate pain by pulling on the head to increase foraminal height.
Cervical disc herniations have been treated with anterior and posterior surgery. The vast majority are performed through an anterior surgical approach, which entails a spinal fusion. These surgeries are expensive and beget additional surgeries due to change in biomechanics of the neck. There is a 3% incidence of re-operation per year that is cumulative at adjacent levels.
There is a need in the art for minimally invasive methods and devices for accessing and preparing and distracting the facet joint to increase foraminal height and reduce radicular symptoms for patients with soft and hard disc disease.